This invention relates to spinning type fishing reels and, more particularly, to self-centering and anti-reverse mechanisms for such reels.
It is known in the prior art that it is possible to incorporate an anti-reverse and self-centering bail mechanism into a spinning style fishing reel. A particular mechanism was first employed by the Langley Manufacturing Company about 20-25 years ago and is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,655. This particular mechanism was incorporated inside the rotor and external of the gear housing of the fishing reel. The Langley device had limited use and constantly caused a problem for fishermen in that in order to use the device a fisherman would have to get his hands in the way of the fishing line. It became obvious that this desirable self-centering and antireverse feature if incorporated in the back of a reel would be quite advantageous. Many spinning reels were made thereafter incorporating the ant-reverse mechanism that was operated at the rear of the fishing reel but no such incorporation was made for the self-centering bail feature.
An improved mechanism is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,020 to Gifford, dated June 17, 1980, and assigned to the assignee of this invention. Gifford teaches the incorporation of both an anti-reverse and a self-centering bail mechanism and locates the mechanism within the gear housing of the reel and not within the rotor. By locating the mechanism in the gear housing the means for bringing the self-centering and antireverse feature into operation can be located at the back of the reel out of the way of the fishing line.
However, the Gifford mechanism is designed to permit up to one counterclockwise rotation of the winding cup to bring the bail into the most advantageous position for pivoting to the casting position. The present invention is directed to providing a further improvement wherein a multiple stop device is provided for the rotor in a counterclockwise direction while still affording the anti-reverse and self-centering feature for advantageously locating the bail.